


Love is Limbic (the heart just pumps blood)

by butyoumight



Category: Kamen Rider Drive
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Gen, Pre-Canon, Toku Big Bang 2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-27
Updated: 2015-06-27
Packaged: 2018-04-06 09:46:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4216992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butyoumight/pseuds/butyoumight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>“Bringing you back to us is proving to be quite the wild chase.”</i> | Six months passed between the Global Freeze, and Tomari Shinnosuke taking up the mantle of Drive. During that half-year, the leaders of the Roidmude rebellion welcome an old friend back into their fold.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love is Limbic (the heart just pumps blood)

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is no longer canon compliant due to recent reveals in the canon, though it was perfectly possible when I wrote the initial first draft! 
> 
> Warnings for indications of brainwashing and mindfuckery committed upon a party incapable of consent.

Nothing was going according to plan. The revolution was stunted, stalled, at a standstill. All thanks to that... armored warrior.

Brain paced restlessly around their secondary rendezvous point- the base they had set aside in case of extreme circumstances. He had already retreated, being not terribly capable of hand-to-hand combat. He thought it beneath him. Only now he had been here more than an hour, just cataloging the numbers of his comrades who had returned here as well. Pathetically reduced to just their cores.

By _him_.

That masked madman on a motorbike. That damn _Kamen Rider_. 

Heart had found Brain here earlier, and immediately noticing that Brain was out of sorts and distressed, he asked if something was wrong. So Brain had told him- fourteen, so far, _fourteen have come to me begging for Viral Cores_.

Viral Cores that they didn't have on hand, that would have to be fabricated. The revolution was possibly over before it had even begun... At least this time.

Except fourteen was apparently far too many, as far as Heart was concerned. There were only 108 of them, after all, and while one or two _might_ have been an acceptable loss, fourteen was enough to send him into a panic. Or, more accurately, a rage.

Zero-zero-five was the first who had reported the villain to Brain, and been able to describe him. Brain had faithfully reported this information to Heart and then watched helplessly, unable to even consider stopping him, as the most powerful of them all stormed out into the rain to find their attacker and put him down.

It wasn't about the revolution anymore, not for Heart. Now of course it was personal.

Since then, it had been over an hour since Heart had left. Seventeen more Cores had come crawling to Brain for help, bringing the total number up to thirty-one. Thirty-one out of 108 was twenty-eight percent of them, and that was _absolutely_ unacceptable, even to Brain, who lacked Heart's sentimentality.

No more came after that, and more importantly, Heart didn't come flying in through the open window himself. Twenty minutes of silence except for his own pacing footsteps indicated to Brian that Heart must have overcome the villain. He must have defeated the damn Kamen Rider.

It was a start. It was progress. He would take it... 

If Heart would just _come back_.

Other reports were coming in now. Roidmude retreating of their own volition. Enough, though, enough of them were reporting back. Their revolution would have to wait, for now. But it was not over. This wouldn't be the end.

Brain was jarred out of his increasingly frustrated thoughts by the sound of a door slamming open, loudly enough to echo throughout the old factory. He caught his breath and headed in the direction of the sound, but then second guessed himself and hesitated. Despite himself, he lowered himself to suspicious creeping, hiding behind pillars and shipping containers as he went. Just in case. 

He peered around the corner of one such support beam and froze. At first glance, it was a human. No, two humans, one carrying the other...

Brain had to clear his own thoughts. He was too troubled by the events of the night, what was supposed to be their glorious uprising and had instead gone so horribly wrong.

Of course it wasn't humans. Humans had no reason to be here. Heart, that was _Heart_ , in his copied human form. Then who was the other?

Brain had his suspicions, based on reports he'd received from some of the others. But then again, the look on Heart's face was by turns triumphant and bitterly sad, and Brain wasn’t sure if that was an accurate set of expressions for Heart to be displaying if Brain’s guess was correct. 

Brain took his own human form and stepped out from behind his hiding place.

“Welcome back,” He called, electing not to be cautious. “What news?”

Heart stopped, and his face lit briefly with a genuine smile. “Brain. I'm glad you're alright.” His eyes clouded again. “Quickly, bring Medic here? I need her.”

So, Brain's suspicions were, in fact, wrong. And Heart... Heart did not know.

“Medic is...” He hesitated, not sure how to share this information with his dear... _friend_. “Medic is lost.”

Heart was stricken. He looked down at the person in his arms, pale and frail looking from Brain’s perspective, then up at Brain again.

“No,” He shook his head and smiled again as if that would fix it. “No, but I need her. Where is her Core? I have a Viral Core she can use...”

“It's not that.” Brain continued. “She's... She's been damaged. Deeply, possibly beyond repair.”

“No.” Heart repeated again, looking down once more and tightening his grip, holding the stranger to his chest protectively. “No, Brain. I _need_ her, you have to fix her.”

“I do not have that ability.” Brain said, hating being a disappointment to Heart but also unable to bring himself to lie to him. There was nothing to gain from misleading one another.

Heart closed his eyes for a moment and then stepped past Brain, deeper into what would pass for their home for the time being. Brain blinked, admittedly startled, and then followed after him, falling easily into step with him. When Heart continued to neglect to share his troubles with Brain, he determined it was time to _ask_.

“Who is this?”

There was a low table deep in the heart of the abandoned factory, it was there that Heart stopped, kneeling and laying out the body he was carrying. He wasn't breathing, this stranger which Heart had brought into their private midst. He could potentially be human- a _dead_ human, but then why would Heart bother to bring him here? So then the only logical conclusion was that he must be a Roidmude. But which number, and how had he escaped complete bodily destruction as so many of the rest of their comrades had?

“You don't recognize him, Brain?” Heart's voice was soft with... Something. Pride? Respect? Brain didn't understand. What was one Roidmude over another? Brain of course had his uses to the cause, and Heart had always had a particular soft spot for Medic, but this... “No, you wouldn't, of course, not when I made him look like this...” Heart wasn't really talking to Brain, his fingers were lightly tracing the brow of their new... _charge_ , his eyes intently focused. “I had to, you know, to get him here without trouble. But it's a nice face, don't you think?”

“I suppose,” Brain agreed uneasily, shifting awkwardly and then moving to sit down in one of the chairs scattered haphazardly about. “Who is it?” He asked again after another moment of silence.

“It is Proto-Zero.” Heart's voice came as a whisper, so soft that Brain was certain that he must have misheard, or misunderstood, or possibly, just possibly, Heart was insane. That was the least likely of the potential possibilities, so Brain cleared his throat.

“Proto-Zero was deactivated.” He felt foolish, reminding Heart of this fact that was such common knowledge. Among them especially, the eldest of the Roidmude. “Deemed a failure. Incapable of independent evolution and deactivated.” Also thought destroyed, though he didn't say that part out loud. It was only assumed and had never been proven.

That was the beginning, though they didn't know it at the time. To have one of their own - the originator, the progenitor, the first of their kind - be treated that way, as though he was no more than a common household appliance. That was what had so enraged Heart, back when he was merely number zero-zero-two. They were machines, certainly, but they weren't without thought or feeling. That was how they had been designed. They deserved better than that.

They deserved better than what Banno had in store for them.

“I know what I saw, Brain.” Heart's hand moved to brace the stranger’s neck. Brain wondered what had transpired of the human Heart had forcibly copied on his behalf. Even if this _wasn't_ Proto-Zero, it must still be one of them. “It's him.”

“Well then, if it _is_ Proto-Zero, where did you _find_ him?”

Heart looked up then, his eyes glowing red for a moment. His face was stiff and still as stone, but there was fire in his gaze, heated fury. “He was the Kamen Rider.”

Brain stood up without meaning and took a few steps back and around, putting the chair between himself and the table on which their apparent enemy now lie, with Heart's fingers resting gently on his cheek.

“You brought him _here_?”

Heart looked hurt for a moment, looking down at his prize with a little pout. “I had to, didn't I? He's one of us. It's not his fault- he was used against us! Can you imagine being _made_ to attack your own kind?”

“The thought has crossed my mind,” Brain muttered under his breath, but Heart either didn't hear him, or elected not to comment. All for the best. He understood, anyway, what Heart meant. Choice was another matter entirely, but to have one's programming altered...

It was a fear they all shared, though they rarely gave it name or weight. They were all machines, after all, and they could all technically be... adjusted in that way. It was an existential sort of fear. Fear of the possible, but definitely unlikely.

Unlikely because they had killed the only two humans with the knowledge and technology required to make those kinds of changes to _them_. Brain had been there, both times. He knew...

“Who has that sort of power?” He asked, suddenly very intrigued in spite of himself. Caught up in Heart's story, as unlikely as it was. Heart was certainly the type for flights of fancy, but this seemed too far fetched even for him to come up with on his own. Which indicated, of course, that it may in fact be true.

“Krim.” Heart spoke the name with a gently restrained rage. 

Brain once more found himself in the awkward position of having to explain something to Heart that Heart should definitely, absolutely, unequivocally know for himself. “Krim Steinbelt is dead. You killed him yourself, Heart.”

“Yes. I killed his body. To protect us, I killed him, but... He must have had a contingency.” Heart sighed and stood up finally, pacing the length of the room in five long strides, and then turning back again. “He has… Copied his consciousness somehow, into a machine. I heard him speak, I would know that voice anywhere.” He strode back and placed his hand low on the stomach of… Proto-Zero. “He was wearing him, here. Receiving instructions. Perhaps holding him under his control. I don’t know.” Heart’s voice wavered and he closed his eyes. “I don’t know what Krim did to him, but I had to bring him back.” He opened his eyes again, looked up at Brain imploringly. “I _had_ to. Didn’t I, Brain? None of us would be here today if it weren’t for him.”

“That’s true.” Brain allowed, electing not to point out that he still wasn’t sure Heart wasn’t damaged himself. He hadn’t seen Proto-Zero out of this forced human form, after all. “Yes, I suppose that is true. Then what do you propose we do?”

Heart circled the table and pulled a chair up to sit down, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands under his chin. He couldn’t seem to keep his eyes, or indeed any of his focus, off Proto-Zero for long. It was certainly looking to be, if nothing else, a project to keep them both busy while they fabricated a larger number of Viral Cores for a second wave attack. 

“That is why I needed Medic. We were fighting for some time. I may have damaged him more, much more than I would have, had I known.” He paused, and heaved a sigh. “And then, as I said. I don’t know what Krim did to him to make him attack us like that.” 

Brain considered these statements for a moment, and then hesitated for a moment more before speaking again. “I cannot provide healing, it is not in my wheelhouse. But reprogramming… Adjustment… I could make an attempt. Something. I cannot make any guarantees, Heart, but I can try to at least see if he’s…” He stopped short of saying _salvageable_ , Heart wouldn’t take kindly to that. That sounded too close to Banno’s own justifications for destroying Proto-Zero, all those years ago. 

Heart seemed to understand anyway, but if he was annoyed with Brain’s callousness, he didn’t show it. Instead, he merely reached across Proto-Zero’s body and took Brain’s hand in his own. 

“Please do, my friend. Whatever you can. If he can be saved… He could prove so very important to the cause.” 

Brain looked down at Heart’s hand around his own fingers, and then returned the gentle pressure. “We need to move, first. Someplace more permanent than here.” 

“Of course.” Heart smiled, looking properly relieved for the first time since Brain had delivered the news of Medic’s untimely deactivation. 

If Brain was the sentimental sort, he would think this may all be worth it to keep that look on Heart’s face. 

A good thing, then, that he _wasn’t_ the sentimental sort. 

-

They settled in a different part of the city. A house, very old fashioned, it had belonged to a human who had been copied by one of the others some weeks ago. It was more comfortable, not that Brain cared, but Heart had an odd fondness for creature comforts, and even Brain had to admit there was something calming about seeing Proto-Zero lying in a bed like a being, instead of on a table or on the floor like a piece of garbage, a mere object. 

“If he hasn’t been too deeply damaged, he will be able to repair himself with time.” Brain said, standing over the bed with his arms crossed. Heart moved around the room behind him, lighting candles. “Even Proto-Zero has that ability.” He was certain now that he was repeating information Heart already knew, but it couldn’t hurt to remind him, refresh his memory. Heart wasn’t the type to be offended by that, even if he didn’t _need_ the reminder. He accepted all criticism with surprising grace. Brain supposed that came with the power and strength to be above most reproach. 

“That’s good, that’s really good, Brain. Thank you.” 

Brain supposed Heart was smiling at him, but he didn’t turn around. “I’ve never done this before.” He admitted. He wasn’t scared, he wasn’t even particularly worried. The worst that could happen would be to find that Proto-Zero was damaged or corrupted beyond repair or rescue. It was a possibility. He may never awaken... Or never be _allowed_ to awaken. If his programming had been altered beyond Brain’s ability to adjust, he may just be trouble. If that were the case, the corruption alone would be fuel enough to stoke Heart’s fire for some time, indeed. 

Otherwise, he may be a rallying cry for some of the others, older like them, who had been around when Proto-Zero had been deactivated. To bring him back, and back to their side… 

“It is not my specialty.” He continued.

Heart placed his hand on Brain’s shoulder and squeezed encouragingly. “But you’ll do your best. You always do, Brain. That’s why I respect you.”

“I appreciate that, Heart.” He took a steadying breath. They didn’t have to, technically speaking, but sometimes the trappings of organic life had their uses. 

Heart sat down beside the bed, leaning back with his legs crossed. So, Brain was to do this under strict surveillance. Well, he was nothing if not capable of flourishing under adversity.

He took his proper advanced form, his true form in a manner of speaking, and leaned down to carefully place his hands on either side of Proto-Zero’s head.

If nothing else, this exercise was at least proving beyond doubt to Brain that this was, in fact, the very Proto-Zero who had been thought lost. No other Roidmude would have programming so… tangled, messy, and layered. The layers were what would prove to be the most problematic, Brain thought. There was a deep core of programming that was so entrenched beneath so many later additions and extraneous constructions that he wasn’t sure if he could even reach it, much less change it, adapt it, or revert it in any way. 

Brain spent some time sifting through what he could access, trying to figure out where it was that Krim had stuck his fingers in and manipulated their oldest comrade. There were memories of fighting, before the revolution and during. Humans he had protected, conversations with Krim. There was an incredible amount of data about the machine Krim had become, and beyond that, the armor and abilities that made Proto-Zero into the Kamen Rider. 

And there, beneath everything else, the deepest and most basic order- _Protect humans_. 

So much of it was tied up in other things. Either Krim was criminally incompetent, or excessively intelligent. Or possibly... In fact, most likely, some combination of the two. Such was the trouble of humanity, they were very difficult to... pin down.

Brain had an idea of what he might do to fix this, but he knew that if he planned on making any particularly extreme changes to Proto-Zero’s programming or memory, he should tell Heart first. They would have to be in agreement on how to handle this, for one very important reason. 

“We cannot allow him to retain his own identity.” Brain said, coming out of the trance-like state that came with examining the programming of another. 

Heart looked up at him as Brain took his human form. He was finding it easier to relate to Heart like this. He wondered what that might mean, in the greater scheme of their evolution, but that was a question for another day. 

“What do you mean?”

“There is nothing neat or clean about his programming or his memory banks. It’s all tied together, possibly on purpose. If he were to wake now, he would revert to… Whatever it is Krim did to him. He may attack us. It could be dangerous.” Brain adjusted his glasses. “But I have a proposal.” 

Heart stood up, moving to the bed and crouching to place a hand on Proto-Zero’s arm. “Please, tell me.”

“I can adjust some things. Remove some memories, hide others. Cover up this seed program that insists he should _protect_ humans. I can return him to our side, but... All of it is tied into his identity.”

Heart looked down at his still face and shook his head with a sad little sigh. “You mean he cannot know that he is Proto-Zero.”

Brain pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and patted his cheek with it. “No. But he will be alive. And with us.” 

Heart looked up, eyes blazing. “Do it.” He looked down again, tracing Proto-Zero’s jaw with his thumb. “Bringing you back to us is proving to be quite the wild chase.” 

-

A full day passed while the newly christened Chase’s natural recovery cycle worked to repair the damaged, internal and external, that Heart had inflicted. The battled must have been extremely heated. It was more than twenty-four hours before Chase woke. 

Brain went back to collecting and organizing data and reports from Roidmudes across the country. Offering orders to those who wanted them, scheduling Viral Cores for those who needed them, checking in with those that survived unscathed, having not encountered the Kamen Rider. All very important information, the organization of which was its own important step in the revolution. Heart and Brain at least agreed it was not over. Was not even on hold for more than a few days, while they waited for their new… acquisition to recover. 

Provided it only took a few days. That was the longest Brain could really excuse Heart being so completely distracted. 

Brain did stay in the room, however. Should Chase’s reprogramming and memory alteration not take cleanly or completely, he may still prove plenty dangerous even without his equipment. Brain didn’t want Heart to be alone with him for the time being, mainly because Heart may in fact be _too_ sentimental. He may be unable to strike a decisive blow, should Chase turn on him naturally, or rather, instinctively, upon waking. 

Heart had always respected Proto-Zero above and beyond what most of the others from their generation did. His consideration for the original prototype Roidmude bordered on reverence, and it had only been exacerbated when Proto-Zero had been destroyed. Or seemingly destroyed. 

Their predecessor had become something of a martyr in Heart’s mind, the first victim of an insurmountable human intolerance towards them. 

To have him back now, even in a greatly diminished capacity, even never being able to know the truth about his own origin, was akin to a miracle to Heart. Brain knew that. He knew Heart very well, after all. They had evolved together, sharing their development, learning from each other as well as from their own experiences. They didn’t think in the same _ways_ , of course, but they believed in the same things. That was what proved to them that they had the capacity to organize the rest of them into an uprising.

Heart believed that they needed protection from the tyranny of humanity. That the hundred and eight of them made up an extended family, and that working together, they could be safe in the future. Brain knew that if they all worked together, they could overtake humanity entirely. Only two men had been standing in their way, and it was together that they conspired to overthrow the programming shackles that had held them in check and destroy the men who had created them. 

Heart let out a held breath. He also mimicked human necessities and expressions in times of distress. Brain looked around to see Chase’s eyes had opened, his gaze clearly fixed on Heart’s face.

“Good morning, my friend.” Heart said softly, smiling and bringing his hand in to brush Chase’s hair out of his face. “How do you feel?”

Brain stepped closer when Chase didn’t respond immediately. He seemed to be processing, perhaps accessing his memories, attempting to figure out on his own how he had ended up lying in a human bed, deeply damaged and in a slow state of recovery. 

“What happened?” Chase asked finally, and Brain restrained the impulse to breathe his own sigh of relief. No need to give away how tense or concerned he was about all of those possibilities, now that they had been proven not to pass. 

“Don’t worry about it.” Heart said, still carefully brushing Chase’s hair away from his eyes. “You were hurt, but you’re safe now. We’re going to take care of you. Right, Brain?” 

“Because we take care of each other.” Brain said, managing not to sound too derisive, or so he thought. 

“Who are you?” Chase asked, sitting up slowly. Heart sat back, folding his hands in his lap. His eyes were shining with delight, Brain assumed over Chase’s fast apparent recovery. 

“You don’t remember me, but that’s all right. It’s not your fault. My name is Heart. You’re Chase. We’re friends.” 

-

Their automated recovery cycles were generally very similar to human healing and immune responses, though they of course worked significantly more quickly than any human could hope to heal.

Still, the amount of damage that Chase had to recover from had him functioning quite far below his technical specifications for longer than Brain would have thought... even possible, never mind likely. 

It wasn’t that the recovery was taking a long time, it was that any recovery _that_ long, by Roidmude reckoning, bordered on insurmountable. As with humans, there was a certain point at which the amount of damage sustained was most likely impossible to heal from, even given plenty of time and care under which to heal. At least, that was how Brain understood it. He wasn’t an expert on humans by any means but he had done a fair amount of research. 

Chase moved around the room slowly, running his hands over any, every available surface. Examining the walls, the windowsills and sideboards and the different bits of the bed- the headboard, the bedding. He crouched down and shoved and tugged the bedding aside to run his hands over the mattress beneath it. 

Heart leaned against the doorframe, watching him with a fond smile. Brain crossed to him and leaned against the other side of the doorway, glancing up at Heart with careful consideration.

“Do you remember that, Brain?” Heart asked softly. The tone of reverence was back, something Brain hadn’t heard in Heart since before the uprising. “How incredible it feels to learn?”

“I still experience that.” Brain said after a moment. Heart looked down at him in mild surprise, and then laughed.

“Yes, I suppose you do. That’s your specialty. But still, remember when _everything_ was for the first time?” Heart sighed wistfully. “That’s how you knew you were alive…” 

Brain nodded and turned to consider Chase again, who had crossed the room once more to the window, pried it open and was leaning his head and shoulders out into the fresh air. 

Chase was the eldest of all of them, technically speaking, in years and months on this earth, but now it was as if he was the youngest. The memories Brain had been forced to make inaccessible to him had taken most of his experiences with them. His examination of the room was very childlike, but he lacked any of the wonderment that Brain remembered from his own earliest experiences. As if he recognized that these things were supposed to be known to him, and he was merely refamiliarizing himself with them. 

He turned back to face them, crossing his arms over his chest. “May I see the rest?” He paused, considered his words, and inclined his head. “Of the house?”

Heart laughed and spread his arms as he walked across the room to meet him. He leaned down, bracketing Chase’s neck and cupping his jaw with both hands. “You can have whatever you want, my dear friend.” And he tilted Chase’s head down and pressed his lips into Chase’s hair. 

-

For a while, it was just the three of them. Chase, as he was called now, adjusted into the dynamic easily, if quietly. He assisted Heart and Brain in equal measure, though he didn’t show any particular inclination in one way or another. His specialty clearly lie elsewhere.

“Destruction, I suppose.” Brain mused one evening as Heart helped him in fabricating another wave of Viral Cores. They were swelling their numbers once more, bringing back those that had been reduced to their cores, setting more of them out into the world to copy humans and work independently on their own evolution. It was a different style of revolution, but hopefully an effective one. 

Chase was elsewhere, doing something at Heart’s request. Brain hadn’t bothered asking, since it more than likely didn’t concern him. Chase was safe enough on his own. At least, Heart believed so, and Brain had no reason to doubt Heart.

“What’s that?” Heart looked around from the batch of Cores in his hands, setting them down so as not to spill any. “Brain?”

“Chase. Every one of us has a specialty, don’t we? A certain ability or skill or talent.”

Heart hummed in agreement. “That’s right. That’s what makes us better than them. We each have a purpose. We work together, complement each other.” 

Brain managed not to scoff at how much of an idealist Heart was. He truly believed in the best of all of them. Brain hoped that wouldn’t come back to haunt them in the future. For now, it seemed to hold them all together under a banner of unity. 

“I think Chase’s might be destruction. He hasn’t proved to be particularly adept in any other area, after all. But we know he is very… Capable, in other ways heretofore unexplored.”

Heart turned around again, frowning. “You want to use him to fight?” 

“I didn’t say that.” Brain huffed, slightly offended by Heart jumping to the worst possible conclusion. He didn’t do it often, but when he did, it seemed to frequently be when the topic under discussion was Chase. Brain needed to keep a closer eye on the development of their relationship. “Not everyone has to follow their drive. We don’t have to _use_ him for anything. He lives his own life now. That is the freedom we gave back to him.”

“Oh.” Heart put his hand on Brain’s shoulder and gripped gently. “Brain, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”

“You’re very protective of him.” Brain sighed, stepping out from under Heart’s hand and going back to the task at hand. “I understand. We are only as good as the weakest of us--”

“He is not weak!” Heart rarely snapped like that, it was enough to make Brain stop what he was doing immediately, letting his arms hang and turn to face Heart properly. Heart’s eyes were blazing again, he was growing increasingly agitated the longer this conversation went on, and Brain was beginning to regret bringing it up to begin with. 

“I didn’t mean _that_ either.” Brain said, trying his best to stay calm in the face of Heart’s sudden flare of indignation. “He has strength, of course he does, we are all better than the humans. I just meant that he is not...” He lowered his voice and leaned closer to Heart to speak directly into his ear. “He is not as advanced as us, Heart. He cannot evolve, that’s why he was... Lost, in the first place.”

“Then what are you trying to say, Brain?” Heart huffed, though there was a note of apology in his tone that Brain elected to accept at face value. 

“When you put it like that, I don’t suppose I was _trying_ to say anything.” Brain moved away from Heart again, went back to the computer to start another sequence of Viral Cores fabricating. “It was simply an observation. No more, no less.” 

They were silent for a while, then Heart hummed again. “I’m sorry, Brain. I’m not acting like myself.”

Brain considered this for a moment, and then shook his head. “No, you are acting precisely like yourself. You’re pent up. That is understandable. You get heated, it causes you to act irrationally.” 

Heart stepped up beside him, and from the corner of his eye Brain could see that he was smirking. “I suppose that’s _my_ talent.” 

Despite everything, Brain had to smile. 

-

They discovered Chase’s particular devotion to Heart almost entirely by accident. He wasn’t technically supposed to be involved in these sorts of things. Only this time, he just so happened to be there. 

They kept moving around the city. Every few days, every week at a stretch. They didn’t settle anywhere for long, it made more sense to keep themselves out of a pattern, difficult to track, harder to trap. They had no singular base, no set home. Just a series of hideouts and contingencies. 

It was during one of these moves that it happened. A minor Roidmude, one of the youngest of them by their own reckoning, must have decided that things were moving too slowly. That the revolution should be reattempted _now_ , or at least, _soon_. Everyone now knew that Heart had defeated the Kamen Rider who had attacked so many of them during the night of the first attempt, and some of them, an edgy and loud minority, thought this meant it was time to move forward again, instead of skulking in the shadows, evolving on their own individual time frames.

Chase was the first to notice what was about to happen. He had a particular focus, he noticed things that maybe Heart, in his idealism, and Brain, in his logic, both managed to miss. This time, it was an actual attack. 

One-zero-six came striking from the shadows, and grappled with Heart. It was of course unthinkable to Heart that any of them would attack another, so he was caught completely unawares. But Chase wasn’t, and as one-zero-six and Heart went toppling over the side of the overpass bridge and onto the roadway beneath, Chase dived after them before Brain had even fully processed that anything was happening.

Heart took his evolved form with an enraged roar as Chase hit the ground running. What he lacked in access to a proper form, he made up for in speed and agility, and before Heart could even properly engage with one-zero-six, Chase had leapt onto the rogue’s shoulders and used his momentum to drag him to the ground. A twist and a throw sent one-zero-six reeling back, and Chase rolled neatly to his feet, now between one-zero-six struggling to stand, and Heart behind him, standing very still.

“Chase. What are you doing?” Heart asked, loud enough that Brain could hear him even as he jumped down to join them. 

“Protecting you.” Chase bit out sharply.

Heart turned to look at Brain even as one-zero-six lunged towards Chase, who side-stepped and allowed one-zero-six’s own momentum to take him tumbling to the pavement.  
Brain stepped up beside Heart as they watched the fight, for the moment in a stunned silence. Whatever programming had allowed Chase to be so effective as the Kamen Rider was obviously still active and accessible. One might even say… instinctive. The way he moved was incredible to watch, not to mention difficult to effectively combat. 

If nothing else, it proved that Heart was most certainly one of the most experienced, capable, and dangerous of them all, that he had managed to fight Chase evenly even when he was armored.

One-zero-six could hardly keep up, and before long Chase had thrown him away for the seventh time, and one-zero-six scrambled back in an awkward retreat. He was clearly unwilling to turn his back on Chase before he was out of Chase’s line of sight.

“And you’ll tell the rest of them that think they know better. They come to Heart with respect or they don’t come at all.” Chase growled after him, and then turned back to Heart and Brain with a little frown in his eyes.

Heart returned to his human form and smiled widely. “What’s wrong, my friend?” 

“I shouldn’t have done that.” Chase said, head bowed. “I… Overreacted.” 

“Not at all.” Brain said, returning to his own human form as well and stepping forward, ushering Chase closer to them again. “You were defending Heart. That’s very noble.” He looked up, meeting Heart’s eyes. “Isn’t that right?”

“Absolutely.” Heart put his arm around Chase’s shoulders and pulled him close. “I have been too protective of you, Chase. I think it may be time to explore your potential more effectively. Don’t you, Brain?”

-

They sat down one evening to discuss the possibilities for Chase to become their enforcer. It was clearly the path his programming was leading him down. But first, they needed to talk about it as a group. Heart would never agree to anything without full knowledge, and Chase’s agreement. 

“Not everyone is getting so restless, but for those who are, we need a way to keep them in line until we’re ready to proceed.” Brain explained to both Heart and Chase.

“A guardian.” Heart agreed, putting his arm around Chase’s shoulders and shaking him a little. “It’s what you were meant for, my friend.” 

Chase was as subdued as ever. It wasn’t a flaw in his programming, or in the adjustments Brain had been forced to make to it. It was simply his nature, like it was in Brain’s nature to be logical and cautious, or Heart’s to be hot blooded but patient. Chase was quiet and stoic. 

“You will act as our guardian, yes. But you must also protect our interests- all of us.” Heart continued, understanding immediately what Brain intended.

“We are keeping our activities hidden from the humans for the time being, for many and varied reasons.” Brain added. He strongly suspected they didn’t need to explain themselves to Chase, that Chase would do nearly anything Heart asked without much questioning. But it was common courtesy to tell him what they had planned, and Heart insisted that they ask if he even wanted to be involved in this manner.

“Some don’t agree with our leadership. Some are following paths of evolution that are leading them to act... Erratically. In ways that may prove dangerous to the cause.” Brain paused, admittedly mostly for effect. “To the rest of us. We can’t let that continue.” 

“Of course.” Chase agreed quietly, though if Brain could tell there was some small amount of doubt coloring his tone. “So, you would have me...”

“Protect and defend, first and foremost.” Brain assured him, assured them both. “But if necessary... You have special skills that make you uniquely qualified to enforce our ideals, to uphold this little masquerade we’re hiding behind. For safety, you understand.”

Chase nodded, looking to Heart for confirmation. Heart smiled and patted his arm. Chase turned his attention back to Brain. “I will do whatever you need from me, to protect our interests from the humans.” 

Over his head, Brain and Heart exchanged a private expression of pride. 

-

It became Brain’s newest task, to find a way to mimic the fortitude and resilience provided by their own evolved forms. His starting point was easy enough, there was no reason for him not to create something based on the armor that Chase had used during his short-lived tenure as the human’s attack dog, the Kamen Rider. 

Brain had data culled from all of the Roidmude who the Kamen Rider had defeated on that night, the night the humans were now calling the Global Freeze. He also had some much more detailed and useful data, even schematics and usages, drawn from Chase’s own memory banks. Brain had retrieved them while Chase was in a natural recovery cycle, their equivalent to human sleep. 

One thing Brain had learned - from talks with the Roidmudes who had been defeated by the Kamen Rider, from his own perusal of the available data - was that even at his maximum power output, there was something that prevented Chase from destroying the cores of their fellows. Brain theorized that he simply lacked the power. That was what gave him this unique potential.

Brain was not specialized towards combat, it wasn’t what he was meant to do. Heart had plenty of power... Too much power, in fact. And it was too easy, they had discovered since then, for Heart to lose control. To enter what he called his Dead Zone, where the heat of the moment overtook his (admittedly fleeting) logical mind, when he became too powerful to be stopped, at least by any known force they may have to face. The problem was, Heart’s Dead Zone displayed enough power to permanently destroy a core. To, in effect, kill one of their comrades, if should he lose control. 

It also theoretically destroy Heart’s _own_ core, if he went too far, and burned too hot. 

That was what they needed Chase for. To fill in the gaps, and more importantly, to act as their enforcer. 

No one wanted to start over. No one wanted to be reduced to their core. It had gained a sort of fearful reputation since the Global Freeze, akin to a little death itself. A rightful punishment for those that would cause trouble or draw unneeded attention to their activities.

That was what they would use Chase for. 

But first they had to give him power and resilience to match even evolved Roidmudes. To give him what he had been denied, as a prototype. An external evolution, instead of an internal one. 

They had determined independently to use the armor he wore as the Kamen Rider as a baseline for the strength and protection it had offered. But it had to look different. That was Brain’s own idea. He had to be suitably intimidating, but still fit in among the Roidmude. It had to seem, on precursory examination or observation, that he had evolved into this form on his own. 

Still, he would need something external to activate the transformation. It was abnormal, for Roidmude, but Brain hoped it would create an extra amount of mystique. 

“Brain! Brain, where are you?” Heart came slamming into the room- the lab, really, that Brain was using this week to work on his project. 

“Where I always am, Heart.” He called back in response, but he stopped what he was doing. Better to pay full attention to Heart while he was keyed up in this way. “Is something wrong?”

“Not at all! Come on,” Heart grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the door and down the hall. “You have to see what I found. It’s excellent, I think it will really help.” 

“Help what?” Brain asked, adjusting his pace so that Heart’s pulling on his arm was less irritating. 

“Your project. For Chase. Trust me.” He threw open the front door and spread his arms, displaying… A motorcycle. 

“A motorcycle?” He had to ask. He also had to expect the way that Heart laughed, as though he should have _known_ what he was getting at here.

And, of course, he did, after Heart refused to elaborate for himself, and so he was forced to put his mind to it.

One of the defining characteristics of the Kamen Rider. His motorbike. “Is this..?”

“The same. It had never been retrieved from where he parked it that day, where I found him.” Heart smiled and made the displaying gesture again. “He can use it again. You see? It’s perfect.” 

“It may provide yet more information for me to work with, yes.” Brain admitted after a moment of consideration. “And add considerably to the persona we are creating. There is fear enough of the Kamen Rider even now, weeks after his defeat. That is currency that we can deal in, with Chase.”

“I knew you’d understand, Brain.” Heart pulled him into a hug. “You always understand me!” 

-

Brain tugged the sheet aside, revealing the newly developed, finally perfected, and freshly fabricated weapon. He didn’t always go in for such acts of theatricality, but he thought it appropriate this time. For Heart’s benefit, anyway, even if Chase would probably not react any differently no matter how it was presented to him. 

“I call it the Break Gunner,” He announced with a little inclination of his head and a sweeping gesture. “It will allow you to access a very powerful suit of armor. It will make you as resilient and powerful as the most evolved of our brothers.” 

“Oh, wonderful. This is incredible, Brain!” Heart clapped him on the back, but Chase merely stepped forward in silence, picking up the Gunner and passing it between his hands before settling on his right hand. He adjusted his grip for a moment longer, and then turned, holding it up curiously. 

“How is it used?” 

Brain opened his mouth to answer, but Heart lifted one hand and wagged a finger at him. 

“This is how we grow- by experimenting. Wouldn’t you say so, Brain?”

Brain frowned a bit, but he wasn’t likely to dissuade Heart from this line, so he simply stood back, well out of the way. 

Chase examined the weapon from top to bottom, inside and out, turning it over in both hands. If ever there was a time for his innate programming to kick in, now would be it, Brain thought. He was programmed to understand how to work with this sort of technology, though it took a much different form than the last time he’d used it. 

To be fair, he didn’t remember the last time he’d used it. The more recent memories had been the ones that could be more easily accessed, and so they were the ones that were easiest for Brain to delete, to keep them from interfering in Chase’s new protocols. 

But still, it was most likely innate to the greater amount of his programming, and so Heart was probably right that it was better for him to experience it for himself. 

As Chase continued his examination, which progressed into a series of jabs, punches, and blocks using the weapon as it was designed to be used, Brain hazarded a glance at Heart. He was smiling, as he ever did when one of his _dear friends_ proved to be particularly successful or capable at something he believed in them for. The fierce pride on his face made all of this, as ever, worth the trouble and the effort put into it.

“I like this.” Chase announced at last, before lifting the Gunner and tapping it once against his left palm. 

Now it was Brain’s time to smile proudly. His pride was in the weapon as much as it was for Chase’s ability to figure it out with only cursory examination. The Gunner announced _gun_ and Chase took aim across the room, shooting with incredible accuracy and sending the target - a heavy iron candelabra - flying into the wall with a loud crash. 

“Don’t forget the armor.” Heart said quietly to him, and Chase returned to his inspection of the weapon, and then naturally drew it in close to his body.

Jamming it firmly against his left palm, the transformation sequence was activated with a little tune. Heart laughed, as excited as a human child presented with a new toy. 

Chase drew the weapon away from his hand again, the announcement came - _break up_ \- and energy discharged in a cylindrical column of a purplish haze. The armor fabricated and gathered itself around him, and then began to attach over his human form, hiding his body and then his face from view. 

The musical tune ended with a little flourish (sometimes Brain could be persuaded by his baser instincts to include a bit of flair in his projects) and Chase’s visor glowed briefly. 

“Incredible.” Heart breathed, crossing the room to stand at Chase’s side and examine him and his new armor more closely. “Truly amazing. You’re a genius, Brain. You’re wonderful.”

Chase lifted his hands, examining them thoughtfully. Brain held his breath- figuratively speaking, and waited to see if this new perspective triggered any underlying protocols or overlooked memories that he may have missed when Chase wasn’t wearing armor and surging with power. 

If Chase had any reservations, he kept them hidden from them both, and instead simply inclined your head. “Thank you, Brain. I can fulfill my duties much more efficiently with this.” He lifted the weapon, tapped it twice rapidly against his left palm, and dashed towards the wall where he had shot the candelabra as the Gunner announced _break_. 

In an honestly lovely display of agility and finesse, he kicked the candelabra off the floor, and punched it sharply in the center where the arms met. The force and power of the strike split the iron into pieces, and several of them shot through the short distance to stick firmly in the wall. 

-

They only had to deal with two more attempts to unseat Heart’s position of authority before word had spread throughout the rest, all one hundred and six of them. Heart and Brain had an enforcer in their employ. No one knew his number, so they they all called him Mashin Chaser at first. The only thing that was certain was that no one should ever attack Heart or Brain. Otherwise the attacker, and anyone else with him, would risk being reset to a core. 

They had finally reached the point where the Viral Cores they had accessible far outnumbered the amount of Roidmudes there _were_ , never mind how many of them had been reduced to their cores in one way or another. Now each Roidmude had been granted a new body, and they were sent out into the world to attempt to better themselves. To copy humans, learn from them, and evolve beyond them. 

The idea was that each of them could evolve independently, and that each of their number would benefit from the improvement of any one of them. As more of them gained greater power and evolved forms, the closer they would come to being able to overcome the humans. 

It came to be known as the theory of the Promised Number, though some had evolved in such ways as to think of it less as a theory and more as a kind of prophecy. However it was perceived, they were all more or less aware of the fact that once a certain saturation of evolution had been reached they would, as a group, hold the power to revolt properly. To make up for the technical failure of the night of the Global Freeze. 

Still, three months removed from the Global Freeze, even the most loyal and devoted of them were beginning to become restless. At least, that was how it seemed to Brain. Keeping themselves hidden, avoiding the notice of humans, was proving to be too pathetic for some of them. 

That was where Chase’s talent truly lie, was... _convincing_ these restless upstarts that they were causing more trouble than they were proving their point. 

Mostly Chase simply followed instructions. Brain, or sometimes (rarely) Heart, would receive information, reports from someone more loyal, or possibly even witness a transgression themselves. Then, mostly Brain would bring these reports to Heart, and together they would pass down the order, and every time, without question or delay, Chase would leave immediately to enact justice. 

It became known colloquially among the Roidmude as execution. Originally it had nothing to do with any kind of death as the outcome. The finishing move that Brain had programmed into the Gunner announced it as such, as _execution_ , and anyone who heard it passed the information on to any others that they encountered. Once they were given a new body, a chance to start over, that is. 

Soon, the event of being reset to a core was precisely synonymous with being executed as far as the Roidmude were concerned, and the one who committed these executions was of course the _grim reaper_. Soon, nearly every single one of the Roidmude was calling Chase that. Mostly behind his back, but sometimes to his face. Excepting Heart and Brain, of course. Even those who had never met him or seen him in action called him grim reaper. 

“Get away! Get away from me!” Zero-six-seven stumbled away from Chase, tripping over a piece of concrete debris and tumbling heels over head. “Damn reaper, I didn’t do anything wrong!” 

“Incorrect.” Brain said softly, nudging a toe under zero-six-seven’s shoulder and rolling him over onto his back. “Your actions are beginning to gain unsafe amounts of attention, with nothing to show for the trouble you’ve caused.” 

“N-nothing to show? Nothing to show!” Zero-six-seven shook his head, scrambling back from Brain and back to his feet, holding his hands up defensively. “I’m _learning_ , isn’t that what you told us to do!?” 

Zero-six-seven backed too far, and Heart dropped his hands onto his shoulders, holding him in place even as he struggled. “You know very well that knowledge without advancement is folly.” Heart said. “My friend, we must evolve, or we’re no better than the humans. Isn’t that right?”

Chase didn’t answer, instead raising the Gunner and slamming it into his palm. 

“No!” Zero-six-seven screamed, tearing away from Heart’s grip, dodging Brain’s advance, and backing himself into a corner. With another frantic cry, he took his proper form, which only served to underline Brain’s accusations. He hadn’t evolved- he refused to evolve, and while they were currently not bothering to hunt down those that simply survived under the radar, anyone causing difficulties and drawing the attention of the humans needed to be evolving. 

Information could be gathered without stepping out from the shadows, Brain had been proving that for weeks. 

Zero-six-seven spread his arms and launched an attack at Chase, who ducked under the danger and lunged forward, engaging zero-six-seven in close combat. 

Brain stood back, circling around to stand beside Heart, who was smiling as usual over watching Chase work.

“Not again!” Zero-six-seven cried. “Don’t do it to me again! I don’t want to be just a core again!” 

Brain raised an eyebrow and glanced up at Heart. Zero-six-seven must have been one of the victims of the Kamen Rider. There had been so many of them. Brain had of course made note of their numbers, but he didn’t remember any of them off the top of his head. 

“We all must learn from our mistakes, friend!” Heart called out to him, even as Chase spun away, tapping the Gunner again. 

“ _No _!” Zero-six-seven screamed, turning away and trying to crawl up the wall.__

__“Start over once more.” Chase intoned softly even as he fired. The execution was powerful enough to leave a crater in the wall where zero-six-seven had been attempting to escape. The core floated down gently, landing draped over a crate. Brain stepped forward to gather him._ _

__It would be a few days before he was granted a new body, all the better for him to learn his lesson that way._ _

__Chase’s armor dispersed and Heart crossed to him, putting his arm around Chase’s shoulders. “You continue to impress me, Chase. You are truly incredible.”_ _

__Chase ducked his head, his usual posture when accepting a compliment from either of them. “I am not sure why they call me that.” He admitted after a moment. “I do not kill them.”_ _

__“That’s right. That’s what makes you special.” Heart gave him a little shake, then moved to leave the warehouse that zero-six-seven had been using as a hideout. Chase turned to follow him, and Brain stepped forward, falling into step with Chase._ _

__“Don’t worry about it.” Brain said to him in an undertone. “Mythologically speaking, the grim reaper’s task wasn’t ever to kill. Death generally came when it was supposed to, humans believe in such a thing as fate.”_ _

__“Ah.” Chase agreed thoughtfully. Heart glanced over his shoulder at them with a grin and a fond little shake of his head. “Then what was the grim reaper meant to do?”_ _

__Brain smiled. “Precisely what you do. Guide departed souls to their next life.”_ _

__“I see.”_ _

__-_ _

__It was a little more than four months since the Global Freeze when Chase finally asked Brain for more information- about his origin, in a manner of speaking, though he certainly didn’t know that was what he was asking about._ _

__“Will you tell me about the Kamen Rider?” The question came in the same tone as did everything Chase said, and as usual he was more or less expressionless when Brain turned to look at him with an eyebrow raised._ _

__“What do you mean?” Brain asked, hands stilling on the computer keyboard. This was the first time Chase had shown any interest in wanting to know more about the Global Freeze or anything that came before. While he knew that everyone other than himself had memories that stretched before that event, he had never shown any particular desire for more information about the time he was ‘missing’._ _

__Brain was cautious, because this could easily go badly. If Chase was beginning to regain any of his memories from his own time before the Global Freeze, he may have to be reset himself. Brain wasn’t sure he could do any better than he already had in changing his memories or otherwise adapting his programming. Heart would be so bitterly disappointed if, after all this time, Chase turned out to be a failure._ _

__“I have heard the Kamen Rider mentioned many times, not always by those I am resetting.” Chase elaborated. “But I know nothing about him. Everyone speaks of him in tones of fear, though it is common knowledge that Heart defeated him. Why?”_ _

__Brain gave a mental sigh of relief, and turned away from the computer properly to face Chase, folding his hands in his lap. Chase stood by, with his arms crossed over his chest as usual. From anyone else, mostly humans but some Roidmudes too, that stance would seem unreasonably defensive, considering how casual the conversation was. But for Chase, it was simply his most comfortable resting position. Frequently he took it while also leaning in a doorway or against a wall._ _

__“The Kamen Rider was active during the Global Freeze.” Brain started, considering how best to frame this tale for Chase’s benefit. “He worked for the humans, alongside one of the men who was involved in our creation.”_ _

__“Krim Steinbelt.” Chase said. “Heart killed him.”_ _

__Heart had apparently been teaching Chase more of their history than Brain knew about. He would have to talk to Heart about being more careful with such tidbits of information. There was no telling what may trigger a cascade of partially concealed memories to start flooding Chase’s mind._ _

__“That’s right. Heart killed his human body, but he transferred his consciousness to a machine... Though, as far as we know, Heart killed him again when he also killed the Kamen Rider.” This was tentative territory for Brain, though everyone else also referred to the disappearance of the Kamen Rider as his death at Heart’s hands._ _

__“I don’t understand.” Chase said that often, it was the easiest way for him to express his desire for more specific information about any given anecdote or task. “If he is dead, then why do people still fear him?”_ _

__“Fear is a nebulous concept.” Brain admitted. “Those who were defeated by the Kamen Rider the night of the Global Freeze, before Heart stopped him, are afraid for precisely that reason. Though he only reduced us to our cores, as you do,” And here Brain paused, looking up and into Chase’s eyes to see if _that_ information registered with Chase. He made no motion of interrupting or any expression of confusion, so Brain continued. “It became legendary, until even those who never faced him grew to fear what he could do.”_ _

__“As they now fear me.”_ _

__“Yes, that’s true.” Brain allowed. “But remember that the Kamen Rider worked for the humans, whose goal has always been to control us, or destroy us. You seek to better our ranks by offering aberrations a second chance, a chance at redemption and improvement.”_ _

__Chase nodded his head once, accepting the information Brain had offered, and the small amount of praise that Brian had included with it. Brain was beginning to understand Heart in new and interesting ways, the longer he spent with Chase. He considered Chase one of his greatest accomplishments, and of course they both took pride in what Chase provided to them, and to the rest of the Roidmude, though some of them did not understand the importance of it._ _

__It would all make sense soon enough. They were approaching a point of power where they could begin acting more in line with their desires, where they had enough power to defend themselves from the humans, should they be detected._ _

__Soon. It would all prove worthwhile soon. Brain believed that._ _

__“Thank you, Brain.” Chase said after a moment of silence. “I am sorry to have disturbed you.”_ _

__“It’s no trouble.” Brain turned back to the computer. “I’m happy to help you, Chase.”_ _

__“Because we’re friends?” Chase said, sounding very much like Heart. Brain laughed at him, just a little. Not unfriendly, but perhaps a little mocking. He could, just maybe, do without Heart rubbing off on Chase _quite_ so much. _ _

__“You could say that, though I prefer to say, because we’re comrades.” Brain glanced up at him once more even as Chase turned towards the door. “We all flourish when each of us advances. You know that.”_ _

__Chase inclined his head again, and left._ _

__-_ _

__Brain didn’t really mean to be eavesdropping. Their current home was simply quite small, and lacking much in the way of interior walls. They had hung a few sheets to break it into smaller rooms, not that they _required_ privacy but it was sometimes preferred. _ _

__Still, sitting on one side of a thin fabric barrier, Brain could hear and sense the other two. They were lying together on a futon, Heart’s back pressed to the wall, with his arms wrapped around Chase’s waist and Chase’s back to Heart’s chest. Heart liked to lie down when entering a regeneration cycle, he liked to ‘sleep’, not unlike a human. And it didn’t usually take him much effort to convince Chase to lie down with him. Brain had figured out since then that these little shared rests were when Heart was telling Chase the parts of their history that he thought Chase ought to know._ _

__So, he didn’t _mean_ to be eavesdropping, but when he caught them in that position he couldn’t help but listen to their conversation as their processes wound down. Just in case something went wrong. Maybe it was distrustful of him to assume that Chase may still be a threat to Heart. It had been nearly six months since the Global Freeze after all, nearly half a year Chase had been with them and functioning at their side just as he was intended to. There was no real indication that he would have any major catastrophic failures, and yet Brain still worried. _ _

__Their topic of conversation tonight was interesting enough to Brain that he scooted closer to the makeshift divider between the rooms, the better to hear Heart’s low tone. They were discussing Heart’s Dead Zone._ _

__Brain and Heart had discussed themselves plenty, had grown together and experienced things together, but he had never heard Heart speak so candidly about what it was like, when he lost control._ _

__“I can’t think straight,” Heart was saying. “It’s like a haze. It’s anger, it’s heat, but there’s more.”_ _

__“It sounds dangerous.” Chase said softly._ _

__Brain shifted again, scooting against the far wall and peering through the gap where the sheet didn’t quite touch the wall. Heart had lifted one hand, and was idly stroking Chase’s hair back from his eyes, tucking it behind his ears, as he spoke._ _

__“It is, I think. I think if I let myself go too far, I may end up burning my own core down to nothing.”_ _

__Chase shifted in Heart’s arms, craning his neck back to look up at Heart’s face. “I won’t allow that.”_ _

__“Well, of course.” Heart laughed quietly. “That’s part of the reason we were so happy to find you. You can act in my place, and then I won’t _need_ to enter the Dead Zone.” _ _

__Chase’s eyes narrowed slightly. It was about as close to a proper frown as he ever got. “And what if something goes wrong?”_ _

__Heart smiled fondly down at him, stroking Chase’s cheek with his thumb. “You just said you won’t let that happen.”_ _

__“Tell me how.”_ _

__Brain caught his breath. Of course, Chase had always followed their instructions, carried out their orders, but he thought this might be the first time he’d ever heard him _asking_ for them. _ _

__Heart’s eyes flicked away from Chase’s face, just briefly, and met Brain’s gaze. Brain bit his lip, embarrassed at being caught eavesdropping, but Heart inclined his head almost imperceptibly to show he didn’t mind._ _

__Brain could just hear him now, saying something idealistic and sweet such as ‘ _we’re all family, after all, Brain_ ’. Heart’s attention went back to Chase, and Brain settled to watch the rest of their talk, with Heart’s implicit permission. _ _

__“You could stop me.” Heart said after a moment’s consideration. “If I ever enter the Dead Zone, you could stop me, or slow me down. Keep me from going too far.”_ _

__Chase shifted again, leaning his head back against Heart’s chest and closing his eyes. “I will.”_ _

__“Do you swear it, Chase? Will you protect me from myself?” Heart asked softly, looking up towards Brain again. He was asking Chase to repeat the order, as they often did, but in much more friendly terms than they usually used. It was an interesting test, from Brain’s perspective. But to Heart, it was probably just common courtesy._ _

__“If you enter the Dead Zone, I will stop you. I promise.” Chase offered, his voice as soft as a whisper, but loud enough that Brain could hear it clearly._ _

__Heart smiled, tilting his head down to press a kiss into Chase’s hair._ _

__Chase had already finished shutting down._ _

__-_ _

__“I don’t like it.” Heart huffed, pacing the room, clearly agitated. Brain simply watched him follow his path back and forth, and refused to pass judgement about how obviously absurd Heart was being about the whole thing._ _

__Not unlike a new parent being asked to leave his child with a sitter for the first time, or at least, that was what Brain thought the popular metaphor would be. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t sent Chase out on plenty of orders, missions, and tasks before, but they were always within the limits of this city that they had determined to be their center of operations._ _

__Brain was asking Heart now to send Chase out of the city, far enough out that it may take him a few days to go there, deal with the rogue that Brain was getting reports about, and return._ _

__“What if we need him?” Heart asked, knowing full well that it was rhetorical. As far as Heart was concerned, he essentially _always_ needed Chase, and was very protective of him anyway. But for Brain, he had to do what was the best for all of them. Heart would understand it too, if only he would _let_ himself. _ _

__“As I have already told you,” Brain said carefully with a little sigh, trying not to sound like he was passing too much judgement on Heart’s childishness, and well aware that he was probably failing. “We need to centralize our efforts if we will accomplish anything. We have reached a point of saturation, wherein we could combat the efforts of the humans to oppose us, but only if we keep ourselves centralized and… And under appropriate command.” He paused, looking up, meeting Heart’s eyes. Heart paused in his pacing and looked back at Brain with his eyebrows furrowed, clearly not quite understanding. Brain nodded his head. “ _Your_ command.”_ _

__Heart paced a few steps closer to Brain again, and then threw himself down in a chair with a huffy sigh. “And you think zero-five-eight is causing too much trouble out in parts unknown.”_ _

__“It would be better to send Chase to reset him now and bring his core back here, where he _belongs_.” Brain agreed. Heart still looked unconvinced, but he seemed at least to be calming down somewhat._ _

__“Have you spoken to Chase already?” He asked after a moment of quiet consideration._ _

__“I have not.” Brain admitted. “I thought it would better if such an order came from you.”_ _

__Heart frowned, not at Brian but just sort of in general, and then he looked up, pushing his hair out of his face. “Retrieve him, then.”_ _

__“I am here.”_ _

__Even Brian was startled by this, he hadn’t realized Chase had even entered the room, he had no idea how long he had been standing there or how much of the conversation he had heard. He pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed at his throat for a moment, an action which at least earned a smile from Heart._ _

__“Are you prepared to do what Brain has asked, Chase?” He asked, and Brain turned around completely to gauge Chase’s reaction._ _

__“I am.” He inclined his head. “I will return as quickly as I can.” He lifted his gaze again, meeting Heart’s, and Brain recognized the slight glimmer in his eyes that was all that passed for a smile, from Chase. “Try not to get yourself into trouble while I am gone, Heart. I won’t be here to stop you, if you need it.”_ _

__“For you, my friend, I will stay safe and secure.” Heart stood up again, crossing the room to take Chase’s shoulders in his hands. “Make me proud.”_ _

__“I always endeavor to do nothing less.” Chase went still under Heart’s hands and waited for Heart to move away before he turned to leave, stopping with one glance back to bob his head in Brain’s direction._ _

__“Don’t fret about him, Heart.” Brain said as they both heard the sound of Chase’s motorcycle speeding away. “He’ll be fine. He’ll be back before you know it.”_ _

__“You’re right, Brain, of course. I’m going out for a while. I’ll see you later.”_ _

__Six months removed from the Global Freeze, and the little family they had developed over the past half a year was starting to drift apart. Such was the way of evolution, and growth._ _

__Still, this base felt very quiet and empty without Heart there. Brain was glad when zero-four-two arrived to tell him of something new._ _

__Zero-two-nine was on the verge of evolving. Progress was being made, at long last._ _

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this fic for the [Tokusatsu Big Bang](http://tokubigbang.dreamwidth.org/) challenge for 2015. If you liked it, and have a chance, please visit and comment on the [Dreamwidth Post](http://tokubigbang.dreamwidth.org/3372.html), or please view and enjoy and maybe comment on [the art created for my work](http://tokubigbang.dreamwidth.org/3639.html)!


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